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Harrier jump jets, he joined the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) as a helicopter engineer for a further six years.

In the early 2000s, there was an unprecedented movement of aircraft into the Middle East to support the coalition efforts for troops in Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa. For Cannon the calling was too much to ignore; he went to the Middle East for an initial six-month contract in Kuwait, and returned home 10 years later having run aircraft, passengers, cargo, and helicopters all over Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

“This led me to take a position in Papua New Guinea (PNG) as the CEO of an airline with 35 aircraft, both fixed wing and rotary wing,” he tells us. “Then the dreaded COVID19 pandemic hit, and after enduring six hotel quarantines, I decided to make a change and moved into the maintenance and repair side of the business. I knew that this would give me a much better life balance, and this is where I was fortunate enough to start with PTB which had been a supplier of aircraft engine support whilst I was in PNG.”

Air Support And Solutions

One of PTB’s core services is the repair and overhaul of PT6 and 331 engines, which are commonly used in aircraft with 19 seats or less, and certain types of helicopters. PTB has facilities in Brisbane alongside engine shops in Phoenix, Arizona, and Dallas, Texas.

“All these shops can repair, strip, and test engines. They all have test cells so they can run the engines to simulate them operating on aircraft and measure their performance to

The Ptb Advantage

WORKSHOP - PTB’s purposebuilt facility has been fitted out to expertly manage PT6A and TPE331 engine overhauls, component overhauls and repairs.

GLOBAL PRESENCE - Wherever customers are in the world, PTB can provide a wide range of customised services suited to a business’ needs.

TEST CELL - PTB’s recently installed test cell provides its Australasian customers with the latest technology for testing their engines.

PT LEASING - A dedicated aircraft and engine lessor with decades of experience maintaining, overhauling and leasing PT6 and TPE331 engines, PTB can leverage this experience to provide turnkey aircraft and engine leasing solutions.

ensure the highest standards,” Cannon explains. “We have a component shop in Pittsburgh that supports the hot sections of the engines and some additional components. Collectively across our shops, we maintain, repair and operate/overhaul an average of 25 engines per month.”

A second area of PTB’s business is its leasing department. PTB buys aircraft and leases them to operators while providing full customer support.

“The third area is our parts sales, undertaken across two offices,” Cannon added. “Our Brisbane office stocks and sells parts that support the same customers whose engines we look after, as well as the leased aircraft. Our office in Sydney trades a huge array of aircraft parts, from components to large engines, across the world.”

Flying High

According to Cannon, PTB’s helicopter business represents substantial promise and opportunity. One of the company’s shops in Phoenix has recently revamped the overhaul and building of its twin-engine pack that is used in Bell utility helicopters all over the world.

“This, coupled with the acquisition of PTB by PAG, which has a long history of helicopter support, will give us access to more inventory, as well as their current customer base who operate helicopters,” he elaborates. “In our recent hiring of business development managers, we onboarded individuals with both fixed- and rotary-wing experience as we anticipate growth in the industry.”

PTB is also making moves when it comes to its regional expansion. The company has played an integral role in supporting tourism airlines in the Asia-Pacific market, and since the relaxation of restrictions on travel, the airlines have been expanding.

“We currently support over 150 engines in the Asia-Pacific market, along with component support,” Cannon states. “They are continuing to expand flights there with recent record-breaking flying hours.”

Outside of this growth, PTB’s key priorities this year include working with PAG to become fully knowledgeable with all the products and support available to support its customers with tip-to-tail solutions.

“By joining PAG, we are now present across 23 locations in various countries including Australia, Singapore, Brazil, the US, and Canada. The success of PTB is really a reflection of a great team of dedicated people. It’s exciting to see the company continue to rise to new levels,” concludes Cannon.

Tel: +61 7 3637 7000 sales@pacificturbine.com.au www.pacificturbine.com.au www.precisionaviationgroup.com